Sustainability Exchange: Community and University Practicums

3 units

The Sustainability Exchange engages interdisciplinary teams of students to tackle real-world energy, environmental, and sustainability problems through an experiential form of education. Students participate in projects with on- or off-campus clients, developed with and guided by faculty advisors from across the University. Teams deliver to their clients an end-product that explores wicked problems requiring innovative methods and solutions. New and varied projects are introduced each semester. Past projects have included conducting greenhouse gas inventories for a community organization; developing a tool to screen University investments for sustainability parameters; developing a sustainability plan for a local nonprofit; addressing water savings initiatives for local breweries; and assessing the vulnerability of city sanitation systems. Team-based projects are complemented by seminars that explore problem solving strategies and methodologies drawn from a wide range of creative practices, including design, engineering, and science, as well as contemporary topics in energy, environment, and sustainability. Students will draw on these topics to influence their projects. The course is designed primarily for undergraduates, with preference given to juniors and seniors. Students are selected by application. The application and information about deadlines can be found here: https://enst.wustl.edu/capstone-courses